Making the most of context-awareness in brain-computer interfaces

In order for brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) to be used reliably for extended periods of time, they must be able to adapt to the users evolving needs. This adaptation should not only be a function of the environmental (external) context, but should also consider the internal context, such as cognitive states and brain signal reliability. In this work, we propose three different shared control frameworks that have been used for BCI applications: contextual fusion, contextual gating, and contextual regulation. We review recently published results in the light of these three context-awareness frameworks. Then, we discuss important issues to consider when designing a shared controller for BCI.